Inflating students' grades nothing new
Some seem to think this college grade inflation business with high school students is something new. This has been going on since it started.
In the'70 s, when I was teaching in one of our state colleges, a math teacher came to me asking why students he had were being assigned grades that he knew nothing about. I suggested that he consult the dean. The dean told him the president had directed that be done.
This promoted the idea of college credits for high school students. It also enabled the college to claim a higher FTE-full-time equivalent-enrollment for which the state paid additional dollars to the college. More shenanigans go on in the name of education than anyone would believe. Lack of integrity in some places was fully supported by some administrators. Seems as if chicanery may be alive and well in 2008. One year the entire grant / scholarship fund was assigned to basketball players only. Again, this was done by direction of the president. Deserving eligible students were denied benefits as all the funds had been spent on athletics. We even had fulltime faculty enrolled as full-time students in their own classes, drawing VA benefits and assigning themselves grades for courses they taught. Unbelievable, but it happened. An investigation by the FBI, the VA and the state Department of Higher Education ensued; a slap on the wrist occurred. No penalties were assessed with the admonition," Don't do it again."I will add that most faculty knew what was taking place. To resist meant you got fired.
MARION HICKINGBOTTOM
North Little Rock
Sense of beauty lacking
I live in Bryant and from my perspective it ranks as the least environmentally aware city in Central Arkansas. And that is not a minor distinction given the level of urban and roadside squalor found in the region.
Bryant has destroyed streams and hardwood forests in its quest to be just like every other interstate community. After a rain, the creeks, all tributaries to Fourche and Hurricane creeks, fill with dirt-choking fish habitat, causing downstream water quality problems.
Bryant's tools of trade are stream channelization and road widening. A recent road project on Shobe Road resulted in a 15-by-10-foot channelized stream with no thought to water quality, habitat or protection of trees. The city's new Bishop Park was created at the expense of dozens of large sycamores, oaks and pines bordering Hurricane Creek. The Shobe Road park has ball fields with deep, eroding banks and gullies filled with felled trees, no sediment barriers. The interstate shopping centers are devoid of trees, and sediment basins resemble open landfills filled with trash.
The responsibility for the city's blight rests with its council and
advisory commissions for having low expectations. Bryant has forgotten
or never learned that "Beauty is the standard."A clearflowing creek
lined with big bottomland oaks and river birches is beautiful.
Tree-lined streets are beautiful. Even shopping centers can be more
aesthetic. Bryant probably has decent tree and litter ordinances. What
it does not have is a sense of beauty.
KEN SMITH
Bryant
Support organic farming
Why are our farmers not being encouraged and supported to grow organically in Arkansas ? We are rich in natural resources and have the ability to be the state that leads the union in providing wholesome, nutrient-rich, eco-friendly, clean produce, dairy, meats, poultry and cotton, to name just a few. It is beyond my comprehension that the only feed mill in Arkansas to
provide organic feed to
our dairy farmers relied on corn raised out of state. What a waste it is to truck corn in state when it can easily be grown locally. Another solution: Grain alternatives to corn can be organically grown and harvested locally.
By the way, Arkansas' only organic feed mill was destroyed by a tornado this spring. The owner had to make the difficult decision not to rebuild as it was not economically feasible due to high gasoline prices. This situation proves a great difficulty to our struggling organic dairy farmers and forces them to raise their prices to us in turn.
Let's support our local farmers and encourage them to grow
organically. It will take adjustments and changes. But organic farming
is cost-effective, produces quality products, and is the way our
ancestors raised their crops and honored the earth. Let's be responsible
consumers and stewards of our environment. This land is my land. This
land is your land. God bless us one and all. Thank you for listening and
taking positive action.
LANA WIEDOWER
Hot Springs
Questions were just fine
Another battle has been won by
Satan. How sad it is that the opinions of the few dictate the many. I
refer to the news story about a student assessment exercise posted on
arcota. org that had eight questions (out of 100 ) asking things like do
they believe in God, do they pray about problems, do they say grace
before meals and do they regularly read the Bible. It seems that Lisa
Lee of Bull Shoals was insulted by this survey when one of her children
brought it home to complete. She accused the organization of religious
profiling. How ludicrous is that ? I suppose it would have been OK with
her if the survey asked," Do you pray to Buddha ?"Of course, it's OK
for Christians to have their rights violated. We aren't allowed to
openly pray, read our Bible, pray at ball games or even meet with fellow
Christians and talk about our Lord and savior at schools. Well, my
children believe in God, read their Bibles, pray about problems and say
grace before meals, and there is nothing Lee or Satan can do to change
our beliefs. I hope she is happy because she helped violate another one
of my rights as a Christian. They have removed those questions [from the
survey ]. Lee and Satan may have won this battle, but rest assured, she
and Satan won't win the war.
RICK WILFONG
Sheridan
Obama's story inspires
I just can't believe some of these letters spewing vitriol at Barack Obama for such things as celebrity, speaking in Europe and going to Harvard. Since when is it a fault to be an articulate and inspiring speaker ? Why would it be bad that our allies abroad admire one of our presidential candidates ? Why would you belittle someone for being brilliant and attending one of our best colleges ? Especially when it is someone who was raised by a single mother without a lot of money and struggled hard to get where he is today ? If you don't know anything about him, then you should find out. Obama's story is inspiring. Nothing was handed to him on a silver platter. After the last eight years, I would love to see our next president be a really smart guy. Our country faces some very serious problems. I don't think we need another beer-drinking buddy in the White House.
LINDA DAVIS
Hot Springs Village
Neo-cons misuse word
"Appease: transitive verb... (3 ) to buy off (an aggressor ) by concessions usually at the sacrifice of principles."
George W. Bush used the word apparently for the first time in his life in a speech before Israel's Knesset to attack Barack Obama as an appeaser. It immediately became a talking point for the neo-con media. One small problem: None of them knew what they were talking about. The best example was Chris Matthews asking rightwing radio talk show host Kevin James 25 times in mid-May: "What is appeasement ?"James, a lawyer, didn't know.
But after a dozen other water carriers made the same fundamental
historical mistake, it was apparent that no neo-con had a clue. Were
they all sleeping through history in the seventh grade or in college ?
Then it dawned on me: Those who actually knew what appeasement was said
nothing because the talking point was demonstrable false. A few days
ago, somebody left a note for me on my anti-war sign about "appeasement"
and Jimmy Carter; forgetting Ronald Reagan and the Iran hostages, Bush I
and Iran-Contra. Can it be that neo-cons are that obtuse ? The
appeasement story is proved to be false, but the rank-and-file never saw
real news-FOX News is not real news, sorry-so they still stupidly keep
repeating the false talking points. Nov. 4, we also vote on Proposed
Constitutional Amendment No. 1, which repeals the prohibition against
"idiots"and "insane persons"voting. Apparently, this is to fully
enfranchise the neo-cons. Be afraid, very afraid.
JOHN WESLEY HALL
Little Rock
Put children's needs first
Many children are doing without child support. Some go without food, shelter and even proper clothing, not to mention medical care, all due to a deadbeat parent not willing to provide for his or her own children. I received a newsletter the other day that made me ill. This is what our rich nation is coming to, I thought, as I read the article on animal cruelty and trying to pass a law for it to be a felony to abuse and neglect animals. I love animals, but get in line. Children have less chance to succeed without financial support. They are the leaders of the future. Are they less important than animals now ? There are 75 counties in Arkansas and over 25 child support enforcement agencies trying to collect against deadbeat parents. Lawyer and court fees will drown a person. Help make stricter laws for failure to pay. After our children are not neglected, then we can help the fight against animal cruelty.
LORI PORTER
North Little Rock
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